Life-boat hook.



V. R. KALBFLEISCH.

LIFE BOAT HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, IBM. RENEWED AUG. 22. 1916.

0 1,214,818. Patented Jan.30,1917.

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LIFE BOAT HOOK. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10. 1914. RENEWED AUG. 22. 1916.

' Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

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VICTOR RIGINALD KALBFLEISCH, 0F SAULT STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO MAITLAND GILBERT GRIFFIS, 0F SAULT STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN.

LIFE-BOAT HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 34 1917.

Application filed October 10, 1914, Serial No. 866,065. Renewed August 22, 1916. Serial No. 116,390.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, V1o'ron RIGINALD IiALBFLEISGI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sault Ste. Marie, in the county of Chippewa and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boat Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for securing and releasing small boats from the davits of large vessels, and which is particularly adapted for'launching life boats in case of the sinking of the larger vessels, having for its object to provide a device of this character which will automatically release the small boat from the davit ropes as soon as the boat strikes the water, thereby eliminating the danger of the small boat being dashed against the sides of-the larger vessel and destroyed before it can be released from the davit ropes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which is positive in its operation, and which may be applied to any boat without alterations thereto, and without interference with the usual operation of the boat.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which 1- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a life boat showing the same as connected to the davits and resting on the deck of a larger vessel. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the tank in one end of the boat, showing the boat hook in its normal or operative position secured to the hook at the end of the davit ropes, the boat hook and its complemental gearing being shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the boat hook in its inoperative position disengaged from the davit ropes and the boat launched in the water. Fig. 4; is a longitudinal sectional view on the linedi of Fig. 2, showing the float, the boat hook and complemental gearing in elevation.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates a life or other small boat in both ends of which are situated narrow transversely disposed vertical tanks 2, the bottoms of which conform in shape to and rest snugly upon the bottom of the boat 1, bolts or rivets 3- serving to fasten the tanks to the bottom of the boat. A plurality of perforations 4: are provided in the bottom of the boat on each side of the keel thereof, and a similar number of perforations 5 are provided in the bottom of the tanks 2, said perforations 5 registering with the perforations t in the bottom of the boat 1. It will thus be seen that water will have a ready entrance into the tanks 2 when the boat is launched, and a ready exit therefrom when the boat is lifted from the water. The tops of the tanks 2 are shown as open, the opposite sides thereof being extended upwardly at 2 Extending across the tank 2 parallel to each other and with their opposite ends secured in the extensions 2 of the sides of the tank is a pair of pivot bolts 6-6 upon which is pivotally mounted at intermediate points in their lengths a pair of half hooks 77 in opposed relation to each other adapted to cooperate with each other to provide means for securing a hoisting hook to the boat. These half hooks are provided with straight and smooth opposing edges 7* so as to fit snugly together. At its upper end each of the half hooks 77 is provided with a recess or notch 8, which recesses or notches form a substantially diamond shaped opening 8 adapted to receive the hoisting hook or ring when the half hooks are brought into engagement with each other. A positioning pin 9 is extended across the tank 2 parallel to but above the pivot bolts 66 between the half hooks 77, and each of the half hooks is provided with a notch 10 adapted to fit around the positioning pin 9 when the half hooks 77 are brought into engagement with each-other. This pin 9 serves to prevent the half hooks 7-7 from falling to one side when they are brought together. Below the pivot bolts 66 the half ends of the half hooks.

hooks 77 have their lower ends correspondingly notched at 11 so as to form a recess 12 between them when they are brought into engagement with each other.

A latch bar 13 which serves to normally hold the half hooks 77 in engagement with each other is mounted below the half hooks so as to slide up and down in a vertical direction, said latch member being mounted in alinement with the recess 12 between the half hooks and adapted to enter said recess to hold the half hooks in engagement with each other. The latch bar 13 is provided with a longitudinal slot 1 1 through which pass a pair of guide pins 15 opposite ends of which are secured in the sides of the tank 2. This latch bar has a sliding engagement with the guide pins 15 which serve to guide it in its sliding movement into the recess 12 between the half hooks 77. The latch bar 13 is just wide enough to fit snugly within the recess 12 and is provided at its upper end with rounded shoulders 13 which facilitate its entrance into the recess 12 and above said shoulders the bar 13 is provided with a dovetail shaped head 13 the function of which will be hereinafter described. A spring 16 connects each half hook 7 to the latch bar 13, said springs having a tendenc to draw the lower ends of the half hoo is together and thus separate the upper It will be observed that when the latch bar 13 is forced upwardly into the recess 12 as shown in Fig. 2 the half hooks are held in engagement with each other, but when the latch bar is withdrawn from the recess 12 the springs 16 draw the lower ends of the half hooks together and the upper ends of the half hooks apart.

Novel means for actuating the latch bar so as to automatically bring the half hooks into and out of engagement with each other has been provided. A hollow float 17 which is normally filled with air, is loosely mounted within each of the tanks 2 so as to have a vertical movement therein, said hollow float 17 normally resting upon the bottom of the tank 2. A vent opening 18 is provided in the bottom of the float 17 and a similar vent opening 19 is provided in the top thereof the functions of which will be hereinafter described. An upwardly extending lever arm 20 is pivotally mounted at 21 on the top of the float 17 at each end thereof. A pair of substantially horizontally disposed lever arms 22 are pivotally mounted at intermediate points in their lengths upon pivot pins or bolts 23 which extend across the tank 2 parallel to and below the guide pins 15 of the latch bar 13, one end of each of the levers 22 being pivotally connected at 24c to the upper end of the cor responding lever arm 20,'while the opposite ends thereof have a pin and slot connection at 25 with the lower end of the latch bar 13.

A pair of diagonal braces 26 are pivotally connected at one end to the top of the float 17 at 27, the opposite ends thereof having a pin and slot connection at 28 with the corresponding lever arm 20.

Assuming that the boat is about to be launched from the deck of the larger vessel, the parts of the device will be in the positions shown in Fig. 2 with a hoisting ring or closed hook 29 secured within the diamond shaped opening 8 formed by the two half hooks 7-7, the said half hooks being securely held in engagement with each other by the latch bar 13 interposed between them in the recess 12. The boat is hoisted from the deck of the vessel and lowered into the water. lVhen the boat strikes the water, the water enters the tank- 2 through the perforations in the bottom of the boat. The hollow float 17 being filled with air is buoyant and will be forced upwardly by the water entering the tank 2. As the float 17 rises, the lever arms 20being pivoted thereon rise, thus forcing up the outer ends of the lever arms 22, the inner ends of which are connected to the latch bar 13 at 25, and which owing to the levers 22 being pivoted between their ends will be forced downwardly thus withdrawing the latch bar 13 from the recess 12 between the lower ends of the half hooks 7-7 as shown in Fig- 3. The springs 16 will then draw the lower ends of thehalf hooks together and owing to the position of the pivot bolts 6-6 between the ends of the half hooks, the upper ends thereof will be drawn apart thus quickly releasing the hoisting ring or hook 29. The dove tail shaped head 13 of the latch bar 13 will be caught between the lower ends of the half hooks, thus preventing the latch bar from entirely disengaging itself from the half hooks so as to hinder the latch bar in again entering the recess 12'. Owing to the vent opening 18 in the bottom of the float 17 the said float will gradually fill with water, the air in the float being forced out of the float through the vent opening 19 in the top thereof. When a sufficient amount of water has entered the float 17, it will sink to the bottom of the tank 2, and a reverse action of the levers will take place, the latch bar being forced into the recess 12 between the half hooks, thus bringing them again into engagement with each other. It will thus be seen that the device is again in readiness for a hoist.- ing hook to be inserted in the opening 8 for llfting the boat to the deck of a vessel. Owing to the perforations in the bottom of the tank 2 and the vents in the float 17 all of the water in the tank 2 and float 17 will immediately run off as soon as the boat is lifted from the water, and the boat will be in readiness to be launched again when necessary. Should it be found that too much strain is exerted on the bottom of the tank 2 when the boat is hoisted, suitable braces may be provided. In the present instance a bar or rod 30 is shown as secured at one end to an eye bolt 31 fastened to the top of opposite sides of the tank 2, while the opposite end thereof is secured to a plate 32 which is secured to the sides or bottom of the boat. With this construction it will be observed that the strain caused by hoisting the boat out of the water is taken up by the braces and that little or no strain is exerted on the bottom of the tank 2.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described including a hoisting hook, a boat, hoisting hook engaging means mounted upon the boat, locking means for holding the hoisting hook engaging means in operative position, and means for automatically and temporarily moving the hoisting hook ongaging means into inoperative position when the boat is launched, the said hoisting hook engaging means automatically returning to operative position after a period of time.

2. A device of the character described including a hoisting hook, a boat, hoisting hook engaging means upon the boat, locking means for holding the hoisting hook engaging means in operative position, and means actuated by engagement of the boat with the water when the boat is launched for automatically and temporarily moving the hoisting hook engaging means into inoperative position when the boat is launched, the said hoisting hook engaging means automatically returning to operative position after a period of time.

3. A device of the character described including a hoisting hook, a boat, hoisting hook engaging means upon the boat, a float, means for mounting th float upon the boat so that it will be engaged by the water and temporarily moved thereby when the boat is launched, afterward returning to its normal position, and an operative connection between the float and the hoisting hook engaging means for releasing the hoisting hook when the boat is launched and the float temporarily moved, the return of the float to its normal position moving the hoisting hook engaging means into operative position.

a. A device of the character described including a hoisting hook, a boat, hoisting hook engaging means upon the boat and comprising a pair of correspondingly formed pivotally mounted complemental sections, each of the complemental sections being correspondin ly notched so as to form a recess between them, a latch bar adapted to be forced into said recess to normally hold the complemental sections in engagement with the hoisting hook, a float, means for mounting the float upon the boat so that it will engage the water and be moved thereby when the boat is launched, and an operative connection between the float and latch bar so that the hoisting hook will be r-released trom the hoisting hook engaging means when the boat is launched.

5. A device of the character described including a hoisting hook, a boat, hoisting hook engaging means upon the boat and comprising a pair of correspondingly formed pivotally mounted complemental sections adapted to normally engage the hoisting hook, each of said sections being correspondingly notched to provide a recess between them, a latch bar adapted to be forced into said recess to normally hold the hoisting hook engaging means in operative position, spring connected to each complemental section of the hook engaging means and normally tendin to draw the said sections into inoperative position, a float, means for mounting the float upon the boat so that it will engage the water and be moved thereby when the boat is launched, and an operative connection between the latch bar and the float so that the latch bar will be withdrawn from the recess and the hoisting hook released from the hoisting hook engaging means when the boat is launched.

6. A device of the character described including a hoisting hook, a boat, hoisting hook engaging means upon the boat and comprising a pair of correspondingly formed complemental sections pivotally mounted between their ends and adapted to engage the hoisting hook, the lower end of each 01"- said sections being correspondingly notched to form a recess between them, a sliding latch bar adapted to be forced into said recess to normally hold the comple mental sections in engagement with the hoisting hook, said latch bar being provided with a clove tail shaped head loosely fitting within the recess, a spring connecting the latch bar and each complemental section and normally tending to disengage said complemental section from the hoisting hook, and means for automatically and temporarily withdrawing the latch bar from the recess when the boat is launched and releasing the hoisting hook from the hoisting hook engaging means, the dove tail shaped head of the latch bar being caught in the recess between the spring actuated lower ends of the complemental sections to prevent a complete disengagement of the latch bar from the complemental sections, the latch bar being automatically returned to its normal position after a period of time.

7. A device of the character described including a hoisting hook, a boat, hoisting hook engaging means upon the boat, a latch bar for holding the hoisting hook engaging means in operative position, a float, means for mounting the float upon the boat so that it will engage the water and be moved thereby when the boat is launched, a pair of upwardly extending lever arms pivotally mounted upon the float, the upper end of each of said lever arms being pivotally connected to one end of a corresponding sub stantially horizontally disposed lever arm pivoted at a point intermediate in its length, the opposite ends of said horizontally disposed lever arms having a pin and slot connection with the latch bar so that the hoisting hook will be released from the hoisting hook engaging means when the boat is launched.

8. A device of the character described including a hoisting hook, a boat, hoisting hook engaging means upon the boat, locking means for holding the hoisting hook engaging means in operative position, a float normally filled with air and provided With an opening therein, means for mounting the float upon the boat so that it Will be engaged by the water and temporarily moved thereby when the boat is launched, Water entering the float through the opening and returning it to its normal position after a period of time, and an operative connection between the float and the locking means for the hoisting hook engaging means for temporarily moving the hoisting hook engaging means into an inoperative position when the boat is launched and the float temporarily moved, and returning it to an operative position when the float returns to its normal position after a period of time.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' VICTOR RIGINALD KALBFLEISCH.

l/Vitnesses:

CHAS. SOHILLING, R. D. GODFREY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washin Eton, D. 0." 

